French Embassy Signs MOU with African Ministers Council on Water...Pledges France Support for Water Development in Africa

Abuja: 21st September 2012

France has pledged continued support to efforts aimed at driving enabling policy for improving access to water and sanitation in Africa. French Ambassador in Nigeria, Jacques Champagne De Labriolle made the pledge Thursday 20th September 2012 while signing a Memorandum of Understanding to assist the activities of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) Secretariat in Abuja.

The agreement is expected to support AMCOW, a Specialized Technical Committee of the African Union, provide documentation for French speaking member countries on the reporting of the implementation of the AU Heads of State Sharm el-Sheikh commitments on water and sanitation in the continent. Responding, AMCOW Executive Secretary, Bai Mass Taal noted that France has consistently provided donor support to many African countries in the provision of water supply and safe sanitation, as well as the efficient management of trans-boundary waters. The Executive Secretary noted particularly the significant support given by France in the establishment of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) and the African Water Facility (AWF), an AMCOW initiative hosted in the African Development Bank. “I commend most especially the recent pledge of 40 million Euros made by France toward the replenishment of the funding for the two initiatives during the World Water Forum in Marseille, France this year”, said Taal.

The African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) was formed in 2002 in Abuja Nigeria, primarily to promote cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication among member states through the management of water resources and provision of water supply services. AMCOW’ mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems.

Sharm El Sheikh Commitments for Accelerating the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals in Africa (Assembly/AU/Decl.1 (XI) was adopted by African Heads of State and Government at its 11th Ordinary session in July 2008 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt mandates AMCOW to develop an implementation strategy and annually report on progress made in the implementation of our commitment on water and sanitation with support from regional partners, and to submit these reports for our consideration;

The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) aims at accelerating access to improved rural water supply and sanitation facilities in Africa, in a sustainable way. The Initiative seeks to help mobilize as well as facilitate the flow of available and potential resources to accelerate investment in Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) in Africa, with goal to reach 80 percent coverage by the year 2015. The Initiative supports the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the reduction of poverty. RWSSI was adopted in 2005 by AfDB’s main international development partners and African governments as a common framework, at the first International Conference on the RWSSI held in Paris April 1st, 2005.

The African Water Facility (AWF) is an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW). It is hosted and managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The overall purpose of the Facility is to assist African countries to mobilize and apply resources for the Water and Sanitation sector to help enable them to successfully implement the Africa Water Vision (2025) and meet the MDGs (2015). The AWF began its operations in 2006.